


too much, not enough

by magicmarkxxl



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Boys In Love, Coffee, Cuddling, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, jeno best boy, reassurance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:22:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24298807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicmarkxxl/pseuds/magicmarkxxl
Summary: everyone notices how jaemin's been drinking more coffee than usual. he's too hyper and frankly it's annoying. and he hardly sleeps now and it has to be taking a toll on his body.
Relationships: Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin
Kudos: 111





	too much, not enough

it's around midnight, the first time someone says something about the way jaemin's been acting. jaemin's in his room singing so loud that everyone in the whole dorm hears him. everyone is still awake so no one says anything. except for donghyuck. 

"for the love of God, jaemin!" donghyuck yells as he shoves his bedroom door open. he storms to jaemin's room. "shut the fuck up for once in your life!"

jaemin's a little hurt by his words, feels like there's a deeper meaning to them. but he brushes it away to smile at donghyuck. donghyuck just glares back, that is until jaemin runs at him. jaemin chases donghyuck through the dorm, in and out of the other members rooms. jaemin's laughing, donghyuck is not. when donghyuck is finally able to run into his own room and lock jaemin out, he says, "grow the fuck up jaemin. you've been acting like a five year old and it's really fucking annoying."

jaemin just laughs, but inside it feels like he's just been punched. donghyuck may be a brat but he's not an asshole. jaemin doesn't think he's ever heard donghyuck say such mean words without it being a joke. 

jeno is standing outside his room. he looks at jaemin with a look of worry. jaemin skips over to him. 

"that was kind of mean for him to say that to you. are you okay?" jeno asks, putting a hand on jaemin's shoulder. 

"of course i am. he was only joking," jaemin responds, even though they both knew donghyuck wasn't joking. and jeno knows Jaemin better than anyone, so he knew that jaemin was affected by the words. 

there was a point in time when jaemin got really quiet. he wouldn't speak unless spoken to and never joined in on things around the dorm. fans were making jokes about jaemin being annoying and it got to his head. it took too many days to get jaemin to act like himself again. jeno doesn't even want to remember them. 

jeno pulls jaemin into his room. he says something to renjun about "calming donghyuck down" and then renjun is out of the room.

"wanna play a game?" jeno asks. jaemin rapidly nods his head. the game they play has them both wrestling on the floor trying to get each other's socks off. once jeno wins the game, jaemin flops down on jeno's lap with a whine about how he cheated. and before jeno can even defend himself, jaemin is asleep. jeno sighs and carries jaemin to his bed. he gets in next to him, rubs a hand delicately down jaemin's cheek. 

the second time someone says something about it, it's during breakfast. the members are slowly waking up and leaving their rooms to the smell of jeno's cooking. (no one makes breakfast as well as he does)

renjun usually doesn't eat breakfast, choosing to fill up with coffee for the day. when he gets to the coffee machine, he's about to make himself a cup but discovers that there's none left. 

"jaemin you bitch! you drank all the coffee again!" renjun groans.

jaemin giggles and says a quiet, "whoops?" renjun rolls his eyes and goes back to donghyuck's room, no doubt complaining about jaemin to him. 

jeno comes back with pancakes and sits down next to jaemin. "you should lay off the coffee, jaem".

jaemin shakes his head and digs into the pancakes, hardly giving jeno's words any mind. jeno sighs and calls everyone out to eat the food he made.

the third time someone says something about jaemin, it's jeno himself. jaemin drank coffee all day, ate nothing, and is way too hyper at 3 in the morning. he's in the living room, dancing. he has been for hours. 

jeno can't sleep because all he can hear is jaemin stomping outside his room. he walks out to see jaemin sweating, staring at the tv, and drinking coffee. fucking coffee. 

"hey, at least drink water. drinking so much coffee is bad for you jaemin," jeno says. jaemin startles but continues what he's doing when he sees it's jeno. 

"can't. coffee keeps me awake," jaemin rushes out. 

"you don't need to be awake. it's 3 in the morning," jeno responds. he picks up jaemin's cup of coffee and brings it to the kitchen, coming back with a bottle of water. 

"hey, what the fuck. i was drinking that," jaemin glares at jeno. he's panting and he looks tired, even if he doesn't feel like he is. 

"not anymore. c'mon let's go to bed," jeno says, gently grabbing jaemin's arm. jaemin whines and tries to shake out of jeno's grip but gives up when jeno gives him a pointed look. they walk to jeno's room, renjun nowhere in sight. he seems to be in donghyuck's room more than he is in his own room.

"i don't wanna go to bed," jaemin mumbles, crossing his arms. 

"huh, donghyuck might be right, you are acting like a child. get in bed," jeno states. he's fucking tired but he needs to get jaemin to bed. 

jaemin is hurt by his words and it shows clearly on his face. his eyes fill up with unwanted tears and he turns away from jeno. 

"fuck you, jeno. i'm not acting like a child. maybe i have a fucking reason for not sleeping and drinking so much coffee. maybe i hate sleeping. maybe i have bad dreams. and maybe they fuck me up so much that i'd do anything i could to stay awake," jaemin let's out. he didn't mean to say it but he can hardly think right now. he's terrified of the fact that he's tired and he knows he has to sleep sometime. he itches to go and get some more coffee. 

"i'm sorry, jaem. you know i didn't mean that. i didn't know you were having nightmares. are you okay?" jeno says. he comes up behind jaemin, giving him a back hug. 

"of course i'm not okay, jeno! i'm fucking tired but i'm scared to sleep! i drink coffee to stay awake and i sleep when i pass out so my brain doesn't have time to dream and focuses on getting my body back to normal. i'm not sure that's what happens but i know i don't get nightmares when i pass out," jaemin turns around in jeno's arms, burying his face in his neck. 

"oh, baby, how do i help?" jeno says, rubbing a comforting hand up and down jaemin's back. 

"i don't know, but don't throw insults at me please," jaemin says. he yawns, letting jeno hold up most of his weight. 

"i'm sorry about that," jeno says, holding him close. 

"i've also been drinking a lot of coffee because i don't want everyone to know something's wrong. like last time when i went all quiet, i worried everyone. i worried you. so i thought maybe if i drank more coffee i'd be able to keep acting like myself," jaemin's eyes are closed, he's already half asleep. 

"baby, i always want to know if something's up okay?" jeno says. jaemin nods. "does hyuck know? you room with him."

jaemin shakes his head, "no, you know he's a heavy sleeper. plus he was an asshole to me. i don't think he would've said that if he knew what was going on."

"you're right. c'mon though, let's lay down. i'll keep you safe," jeno says, walking them to lay down on his bed. jaemin huffs out a laugh. he's about to say something but as soon as his head hits the pillow, he's gone. 

jaemin sleeps in jeno's bed every night now. it's been settled that he and renjun should just switch rooms. jaemin doesn't drink as much coffee, per jeno's request. and that makes it harder for him to sleep. he wakes up again in the middle of the night crying or whining from his dreams, but jeno is always there. always has his arms around him. always keeping him safe. 

and one night jaemin wakes up crying about losing jeno and jeno can't stand the pained look on his face, so he kisses him. reassures him that he's there and always will be. jaemin melts into the kiss and feels his chest warm up and the worry slip away. jaemin can't seem to get rid of his nightmares, but at least he has someone to hold him through them.


End file.
